My sisters [above] and I refer to ourselves as “The Three Treasures.” I borrowed this phrase from an incident in the film, Sarah, Plain and Tall [or perhaps it was from the sequel, Skylark] in which Sarah travels back home to visit her unmarried aunts. It was Sarah’s grandfather [the father of the aunts] who bestowed on his adult daughters the collective endearment, “My Unclaimed Treasures.” I always loved that term and, so, although each of us is married, I told my sisters that we were “The Treasures.”

I am almost certain that my sisters, Susan and Amy, will forgive me for not asking permission to post the above photo when I tell you [and them] that this photo, from one year ago, represents one of the most pleasurable days in my life. A year ago, my sisters traveled to my home for our annual “Sister’s Reunion” and, from Tallahassee, we took a day trip to the charming and historic gulf port town of Apalachicola, FL, near St. George Island. We toured the historic buildings & homes, walked the cobblestone streets, poked around in the antique and gift shops, and enjoyed lunch at a sidewalk cafe.

The ironic thing about this day with my sisters is that I had just received a phone call from the diagnostic laboratory, reminding me that I was scheduled for a mammogram. I quickly decided to reschedule that appointment for two weeks in the future. I remember thinking, “I don’t have time for a mammogram now! Ridiculous! My sisters are in town!” So, I rescheduled the test for May and the rest is history — at least, as it is recorded in this blog [see the first entry.]

Above you see me in a “before” photo, on a care-free day with my sisters, before I received the news that would alter my life. When that word arrived, I was very glad that my sisters and I had enjoyed our care-free week. I was fortunate that my “Treasures” would be there to support me throughout the long year, just as we had supported each other in the past. Sometimes we seem like “three peas in a pod;” sometimes our differences exasperate us. Nevertheless, the essential fact is that we are there for each other, through all the “challenges and changes” of life and I often wonder, “Where would I be without my Treasures?”